Lain: REBOOT
by Nesral
Summary: Lain decides to bring herself back to the real world as an experiment. Will anyone remember? Be nice please, it is my first story on here. Chapter 3 finally up!
1. Lain REBOOT, Layer 01

The computerized sounds whirred around her as she sat in her dark room, listening closely.

"Humans abilities in the Wired are only limited by their understanding of the collective unconscious. In order to obtain full ascension into the wired with full depth and form, they must realize their place in the world is only to justify their existence in the cosmos…further, we are all software…part of an executable program. This program…life."

A voice replied to her.

"And how does Lain know all of this?"

…….

Laughter.

"The answer is in the question…who is Lain?" She asked.

Mankind is only able to realize it's full potential under circumstances that would call for such an ability. Our ability to evolve is what sets us apart from ordinary data. We can store a nearly infinite amount of knowledge without ever having to backup or reboot. Knowledge is only knowledge if it is shared. If it is not then it becomes useless data, making up the expanse of the Wired. Thoughts and feelings, mere schematics of the programs in the Wired.

An invisible and undetected form sat outside the window of a loft. With a hair-band shaped like an 'x' that would never be seen or remembered again. She looked in through the window at a happy couple. Alice was the name of the girl that Lain watched. She had never liked her name. She always said it was too plain…but Lain knew the worth of a name. The worth of remembering such a thing.

Since the reset, she had been simply watching everyone…thinking…waiting. What if she brought herself back? Would she matter then? The first execution of program 'Lain' appeared to be a failure…but…was it? This question taunted her. She wanted more than anything for just one person to remember her…and that person now sat in the apartment, blissfully unaware that anything was amiss while Lain sat outside, empty and cold.

"EXECUTE PROGRAM LAIN"

A flash as nothing was made into something. The form of a girl…Lain now stood again in this world. She had brought herself back one last time just to see…just to see if anyone would remember or care.

The people inside the apartment noticed the light and came to the door where they now found Lain standing in her white night-gown that barely went down to her knees.

"Excuse me, who are you?" The young woman named Alice asked. Lain, who seemed to have lost her ability to talk just stood there and stared at Alice and the man.

"You don't know her?" The man asked.

"Well…she looks familiar…Did I meet you while I was student-teaching at the middle-school little girl?" Lain just looked at her with her deep, expressive eyes.

"No…that's not it…but I feel like I…know her somehow."

Lain stared silently at the two.

"Maybe she is mute." Said the man that Lain now assumed was Alice's boyfriend.

"Maybe…" Alice said, considering her options. "Do you have a home?" she asked the girl. Lain just shook her head. Alice had really grown up in the time Lain was gone. She was so much taller now, Lain felt like a very young child compared to her.

"The poor thing is out in the cold…we should help her Suka." Alice said. She welcomed Lain into the house and got her some old clothes to wear considering Alice didn't have anything in Lain's size. They had taken her in, but Lain still couldn't say anything. All she could really do was nod and shake her head.

Lain now sat on the guest bed. They had graciously allowed her to stay in the guest room for the time being. She lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Maybe this wasn't a mistake. Maybe her existence did hold bearing on the life of someone. Lain smiled. She actually smiled for the first time in a long time. Someone seemed to remember her. That was a good sign.


	2. Lain: REBOOT, Layer 02

Lights and sounds swirled around her. She floated in a familiar abyss. The Wired. She was back. But how?

"You aren't supposed to be back in reality…why are you here?" One Lain said to the other.

"The power of memory…if I am remembered, then I deserve to exist." Lain responded. The other Lain just laughed.

"I thought the others were better off if you didn't exist?"

"I…That's not for certain…"

"We'll see…"

Lain woke in sweat. She stared up at the ceiling. Was any of it real? Was she still in the Wired creating a reality for herself? Because of what she had been through, Lain could no longer be certain that anything was real. She walked out of the guest room and looked out the window and into the darkness. This darkness had life to it…not like the darkness she had endured in the Wired. It resonated life that she could feel once again.

"This must be real…" She said, laying her hand over her heart.

"You can talk." Came a voice from behind her. Lain turned around, startled. Alice stood there in her pajamas, looking at Lain.

"I…I'm sorry…" Lain said to her. Alice just looked slightly confused.  
"Sorry about what?"

"I'm sorry if I've been any trouble…" Lain said timidly. Alice smiled.

"No, you've been no trouble. So…tell me about yourself…your parents…won't they be worried about you?"

Lain looked at her and looked down.  
"I…I really don't remember anything…"  
"Nothing about your parents, friends, anything?"

"No…"

Alice smiled. Lain blushed slightly. She had missed that smile so bad. It had warmth…feeling. A smile shows emotion, something computers can never feel.

"Well, that's not a problem. You are welcome to stay here." Alice said warmly. Lain half-smiled back.

"Thank you." Alice looked at the clock and saw it was late.

"You should really get to bed…it seems you have had a long day…" Lain just nodded in agreement and went back to the guest room. She laid down and fell asleep again.

"Existence in itself is error. Our bodies are only placeholders for something bigger that we represent in the Wired. This world is only a separate layer of a hugely complex system that exists for the sole purpose of exchanging information. Going between planes of existence makes no difference on the life or experiences of others around you. They will merely forget to never remember. And that is what is happening to you Lain. This delirium you are in is merely error in the system. You were gone…therefore, you shouldn't exist on this plane again."

"Stop it!" Lain yelled.

"You know it to be true…"

"No I don't!"  
"But you do."  
"Nothing in this universe is certain!"

Lain awoke once again, only this time she was in tears. Her other side was tearing at her even now. She only wanted to be remembered…to exist…to feel the warmth of life again…to feel love…

Alice stood in the doorway. Lain noticed her out of the corner of her eye and quickly wiped away the tears.

"It's okay…" Alice said, walking up to the bed and sitting on the edge. "Whatever it was, it was just a dream…"

Lain looked at Alice.

"What is it like to be loved?" She asked. Alice looked puzzled.

"Well…it is hard to explain…it is the best feeling a person can have." Lain just looked at her hands that were folded in her lap.

"I want that…" Lain said.


	3. Lain REBOOT, Layer 03

The wired has changed so much since I left.

There are many havens in our world. Havens that are safe from religion, government, social stigmas…the Wired is one such haven; inhabited by millions of people, creating, communicating, dying and living.

The Wired is safe from all forms of ID control and mind control that the super-governments of the world use to keep us in check. Everyone who is anyone wants to be free from control. The belief of collective conscious states; all humans are in sync with each other to a point of oneness. The Wired is the medium that believers of this philosophy are using to achieve their perfect haven of oneness. Where individuality ends so do morals, beliefs, emotions…we essentially become Wired.

Nowadays, transplanting yourself completely into the Wired is as easy as knowing the right people. Being alive is overrated, really. After the whole 'GOD' fiasco on the Wired a few years back, the lines between reality and Wired have never been more blurred.

The Knights. An organization with unknown intents that were believed to be directly involved with the '_delete.' event in which the entire Wired was reset and freed from all human control. Whether they were the cause or the potential antagonists is still yet unknown. What is known is that now the Wired is completely out of the control of the media, the government, and even most users. It appears to be a living thing now and everyone is jumping at the chance to become part of it. It has become a religion. One without a god. One without shape or form. One with purposeful and accidental followers alike.

"You have that, though…you have me." Alice said to Lain. Lain felt the warmth of life flooding into her for the first time in ages.

A million lights flooded into each other to form the screen of her Navi. Some years had passed since that night. Lain hadn't left Alice's side since. She couldn't. She had a connection to this world…and that is all she wanted.

Her Navi whirred it's response to her login.

"Lain has new mail."

Lain looked slightly puzzled at this. She didn't know anyone in the Wired anymore. She just kept to herself these days. She apprehensively opened the mail.

"Lain…you know what you are. You are nothing; a figment of our own imagination. Your world is fragile as glass…so fragile."

Lain felt a pain in her head…an uncontrollable stabbing…a tearing at her very being. Who sent this? Who?

The room melted away from view until she sat before a jury of faceless forms.

"So pathetic and hollow you are." Came a voice from amongst the crowd of mannequin-like people.

"Who are you?" Lain demanded.

"Who are you?" Came the response.

"Do you even know? Can you even prove you exist?"

Lain jolted up.

"This isn't my world anymore!" She said. "I have life…and I have love. That is proof enough that I exist!"

"Is it? Life doesn't suddenly fade away like yours just has. The reality around you is as transparent as the windows you stare out of. How long do you think you can convince yourself that this life is real?"

Silence. Lain thought to herself. She doubted this reality for the first time in a long time. No…they couldn't be right. This is just a dream. I am still in my bed.

"Do not lie to yourself anymore, Lain." Came a voice that sounded just like hers. Another Lain walked out from behind the crowd of faceless forms. Blood trickled down her face like tears running in rivers.

"I have stopped lying to myself…and so should you." She said.

Lain stared at herself in terror. It was just like before.

"You aren't real!" She yelled.  
"And neither are you." The other Lain replied.


End file.
